Early responses to dynamic strain change and prostaglandins in bone-derived cells in culture

Mechanical loading of bone explants stimulates prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostacyclin (PGI2) release and increases glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity. This response is blocked by indomethacin and imitated by exogenous PGs. In the experiments reported here, primary cultures of rat long bone-derived osteoblast-like cells were exposed to a dynamic strain and exogenous PGs in the culture dish. Strain (3400 mu epsilon, 600 cycles, 1 Hz) caused an immediate release of PGI2 into the culture medium but had no effect on PGE2. Strain also caused an increase in G6PD activity per cell and an increase in the smallest transcript of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) (IGF-II T3) but had no effect on the expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1). Indomethacin inhibited strain-induced release of PGI2 and suppressed strain-induced stimulation of IGF-II T3 transcript. PGI2 (1 microM) increased G6PD activity and mRNA levels of all three transcripts of IGF-II but had no effect on the mRNA levels of IGF-I or TGF-beta1. PGE2 (1 microM) stimulated G6PD activity and caused a marked increase in IGF-I and the largest transcript of IGF-II (IGF-II T1) but had no effect on the IGF-II transcripts T2 and T3 or on TGF-beta1 mRNA levels. These findings show similarities in response between osteoblast-like cells strained in monolayer culture and bone cells in loaded bone explants in situ. They provide support for a role for IGF-II and PGI2 in the early strain-related response of osteoblasts in loading-related bone modeling/remodeling.